There may be a bit of confusion when it comes to Web Design versus Web Development. Many people use these term almost interchangeably, but they are very different once we look a little closer.
Website Design is a process that most often focuses on user experience and interaction with a website. Design services will include page layout, site color schemes, branding consistency, the use of forms or other information gathering tools, and even describing the look and layout of menus and internal link schemes.
It may be a bit of a simplification, but Web Design can be said to impact the look and feel of a website.
Website Development often looks inward. Development takes the needs of site owners, designers, and marketers and converts it all into code. Developers understand the components and code needed in order to create the site that the owner wants and the Designer has described.
Website Developers do their work largely behind the scenes. Developers usually don’t get involved with the graphic elements and content decisions made for a website until it’s time to implement them. Developers are often called upon to work on intranet and other business solutions aimed at improving internal work flow or communications.
There are a lot of great Developers who can provide design work that really stands out. And of course some Web Designers can write code on par with the best people in the development department. Web Design and Web Development are two different, albeit related, disciplines.
While on occasion we may find individuals competent in both skill sets, sometimes it takes a specialist to perform tasks in the best possible way. It is useful to keep in mind that when creating a new site, or when overhauling an existing one, odds are you are going to need good advice from both camps.
